Matt, the bagel guy is the owner of Canadian Bakin, a locally owned bakery and cafe in Huntsville, AL. They specialize in hand-rolled bagels and artisan breads, baked fresh daily.
DIBS: How did your love for baking start?
I had quit my full-time job because I wanted to pursue a more creative, hands-on line of work. I started making bread as a way to save money. Turns out it's also fun.
DIBS: What emotions provoke you when you bake?
Calmness.
DIBS: What are your favorite things to bake?
My favorite is baguettes. Usually the fewer ingredients, the more I enjoy it. Baguettes, sourdough loaves, etc...
DIBS: What’s been inspiring you lately?
Specialty flours have been my recent interests, but they're hard to find around here. Fresh rye, einkorn, flours like those.
DIBS: What does bread symbolize for you?
It really does bring people together in several ways. Eating, of course, but also working with others to make it. It's a time intensive endeavor, so you really get to know the people you're working with.
DIBS: What is the most challenging part of baking bread?
For me, it's teaching people how to troubleshoot bread dough by feel. It's a very "you have to do it a lot to be good at it" skill.
DIBS: What’s the most important thing to you when baking?
That I create something, someone can enjoy. Now, having employees make bread, it's important to me that they enjoy creating it.
DIBS: What are some things you’ve learned about bread?
You can be a lot less precise the better you are at it. Which is good for me, because my brain is an unorganized mess.
DIBS: How do you like to eat your bread?
Well, if I'm working a shift at the shop you'll find me huddled over a trash can in the dish pit shoving bread into my face like a rat. If I'm not at work, I like toasted sourdough with soup.
Their holiday orders open on Friday, December 9th, and close on December 19th. You can place those orders on canadianbakinbread.com and click on "Christmas Pre-Orders" on their navigation bar! They typically offer our customer favorites like sourdough (traditional and cranberry-walnut), our seasonal sugar plum buns, bagels for family gatherings, our popular cinnamon-brioche loaves, and dinner rolls.
Canadian Bakin is located at 501A Church St. NW Huntsville, AL 35801 | 256-489-2323